Mother’s epic crime spree shocks North Queensland

A WOMAN with almost no criminal history has been jailed for committing a string of 21 offences.

Tenille Jaye Matheson, 34, pleaded guilty in Townsville Magistrates Court to three counts of stealing, seven minor drugs charges, driving without a licence, failing to stop a car on police direction, fraud, breaching bail, receiving tainted property and possessing a knife in a public place.

Prosecutor Subarna Raut said the most serious crimes were two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle (UUMV).

"The second one is, I would submit, more serious because what we have is a scenario where the victim has extended her generosity to allow the defendant to stay at her home," he said. "(She) woke to find the car keys missing, the vehicle missing and all their belongings were missing. The two offences of UUMV were brazen in nature."

Matheson was caught with marijuana, oxycodone and diazepam on October 8 and methylamphetamine on October 18.

Defence solicitor Jason Voight said Matheson was a mother of seven children and had recently separated from her partner of 16 years.

"She does have very limited criminal history prior to 2017, this is very much out of character," he said.

Magistrate Peter Smid said Matheson had past convictions for a minor drug possession and shoplifting. Matheson had been in custody for 63 days since breaching bail on November 21.

She was sentenced to two years in jail, with immediate parole release. She was disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to pay restitution.